How could these doctors not have been able to put a breathing tube down her throat...but paramedics could?
There was probably mass panic going on in the room, if they couldn’t get oxygen into her lungs until EMT arrived she was likely a vegetable by then.
How horrible.
If the doctor doing the procedure was in charge of sedation without an anesthesia provider (crna or md) he may not have the skills to intubate.
All day-surgery centers in Sacramento CA are equipped and ready to deal with emergencies like this. It's SOP.
Sounds like the events that surrounded the sudden death of pop artist Andy Warhol.
He was sedated--in post-op after routine gall bladder surgery----the private nurse at his bedside saw that he had turned blue. He had not gasped for breath or called out for help.
Hospital emergency rushed in---but could not get the tube down his throat....blamed it on rigor mortis.
Later its was determined, Warhol was allergic to the post-op meds--the allergy caused his throat to close up....a common occurrence with allergies.
Why was an 81-year old woman having general anesthesia in an out patient clinic rather than a hospital. In a hospital, they have real anesthesiologists administering anesthesia.